Education Minister Alex Allinson says that an upcoming price rise for primary school meals is ’regretted’.

When primary schools return in September, hot school meals will be back on the menu for the first time since lockdown - but there will be a 5p increase in price, taking it up to £2.35 per pupil per meal.

That represents a 30p per meal hike since 2016, when the cost was £2.05.

Dr Allinson, who took over at the helm of the Department of Education earlier this year, said of the latest increase: ’The agreed 5p increase is regretted. It will cost parents an additional £9.25 per child per year.’

The minister confirmed that, in the light of economic pressures on families as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown earlier in the year, thought was given to not increase the price of school meals, but that was ruled out.

’The price of meals was discussed at a departmental meeting on July 8 with a paper prepared by our finance director,’ said Dr Allinson.

’The department gave consideration to the significant economic challenges faced by many families on our island and the potential implications on other services if no increase was implemented.

’We discussed not increasing the cost of meals but that would have resulted in a budget shortfall which would have needed to be met from efficiency savings from another area.’

The department’s income target was increased by 2% for the financial year 2020-2021, he revealed. To meet that target, the cost of an individual meal would have needed to be increased by 8p, but education chiefs have opted for the 5p increase.

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In the academic year just completed, the price for primary school meals was £2.30, which itself was a 5p increase on the amount for 2018/19.

Those two 5p increases arrived on the back of 10p increases at the start of each of the two preceding academic years, going from £2.05 to £2.15 in 2017 and up to £2.25 in 2018.

The Manx Independent understands that the price of secondary school meals is determined by the individual schools.

Dr Allinson has also confirmed that ’on occasion’ ingredients in the prepared packed lunches served instead of hot meals during the summer term, after the schools re-opened, came from off-island.

Hub schools, for the vulnerable children and the children of key workers, operated throughout the lockdown period before schools fully re-opened in late June.

However, because catering staff had been temporary redeployed to help with cleaning duties, packed lunches were supplied rather than hot school meals.

The minister said: ’I understand that some of the ingredients such as bread and fillings may have been sourced from off-island on occasion.

’Government is committed to sourcing as many ingredients locally and I will be reviewing our current procurement policy.’

He explained the normal process: ’In terms of who supplies the ingredients, this is from on-island suppliers who complete a competitive tendering process.

’All the contracts were finalised before the recent health emergency and when schools were reopened catering staff were redeployed to help with extra cleaning rostas.

’To accommodate the extra cleaning regimen the department took the pragmatic decision to supply packed lunches to pupils and the ingredients for these were supplied from the same on-island firms.’

He added that he was grateful to all staff ’for their flexibility and dedication to their pupils’ safety’.